Page 41 - Simply Vegetables Autumn 2024

Sprouting broccoli growing well
parsnips. It is a good idea to lift some in case the ground is frozen when you need them at Christmas. They will keep quite a while till you need them.
This is the month when I clean my propagating greenhouse. I completely empty it by transferring all the plants to my other greenhouse and switch off the power. There are large trays on the staging containing grit on which the plants stand which helps to create a moist atmosphere in summer. That is not what is needed
at this time of year, though, so I remove
the grit and turn the trays upside down. Before I put them in position, I spray the staging with disinfectant, and I also spray all the shelves. There is a large wooden propagator and that is swept out and sprayed too. There are three warming benches made of wood consisting of warming cables between layers of sand.
I remove the cables and sand, brush the wood and spray it then put the cables back with fresh sand. I also sweep the floor. This greenhouse is heated with tubular heaters, but I leave the power switched off till I want
to start sowing seeds and taking cuttings about the end of January or early February.
Another job I do to prepare for the propagating season is to wash all my seed trays. I do them in my wheelbarrow under the carport. I also start to wash all my plant pots of which I have hundreds. I do these at the kitchen sink. I have so many, though, that it takes my till January or even February to do them all.
Another job I do is to sort all my canes, of which I also have hundreds. I examine each one to make sure they are sound then sort them into their sizes and tie them into bundles.
Gooseberries, red and white currants, blackberries, blackcurrants, apples and pears can still be pruned this month. I described the methods last month. Also, autumn fruiting raspberries can be pruned by cutting all the stems down to just above ground level.
I mentioned collecting leaves last month to make leaf mould and you can continue doing so this month.
I used to start my Chrysanths into
growth this month by putting the boxes
of stools on a warming bench to get early cuttings. However, as I have just told you,
I now leave the power off my propagating greenhouse till late January, so I don’t
start my Chrysanths till then. There is no reason why you can’t start yours now, if you wish, providing that you can give them some extra warmth like putting them in
a propagator. Chrysanths suffer from a disease called white rust which affects the leaves. You need to spray regularly with a fungicide from an early stage to prevent it.
If you have any veg in store, don’t forget to keep checking them to see if any have begun to rot. One rotting vegetable could cause the whole tray or box to rot.
Two jobs you can do this month in the fruit garden, apart from the pruning, are to check tree ties to see if any need replacing and give the trees a winter wash. There are sprays in the garden centres which are for this purpose.
Hopefully, you will have some vegetables to harvest for your Christmas lunch, such as sprouts, cabbage, carrots, and parsnips.
Soil warming cable in position
Garlic growing in pots
New roses planted
Simply Vegetables 41